Turny Evo offers disabled drivers a seat

People with limited mobility face a challenge when getting into a conventional vehicle. Not only do they have to put aside their crutches or get out of their wheelchair, but they are also required to step up and across the vehicle's door sill and swivel themselves sideways onto the seat. One option is to get a converted van, with a side- or rear-mounted ramp. Autoadapt, however, is now offering an alternative. The Swedish company's Turny Evo system actually lifts the front driver or passenger seat out the door of the vehicle, turns it toward the user, and lowers it down. Once the user has seated themselves, the seat and passenger are then pulled back inside, and driving can commence.

According to Autoadapt, the crash-tested system can be installed on the majority of SUVs, minivans, minibuses, crossovers and similar vehicles. The layout of every make and model is different, of course, so the Turny Evo's path of movement can be programmed to accommodate whatever vehicle it ends up in.

Users control it using a handheld remote. Once inside the vehicle, they can also use it to move their seat forward or backward. Should they also use Autoadapt's Carony Classic wheelchair, they can simply slide the seat itself off of the wheelchair's mounting rails, and onto the Turny Evo's mounting system - in other words, the same seat can be used on the wheelchair and in the vehicle.

Autoadapt has previously sold other versions of the Turny, although those have been limited to passenger seat use. The Evo is its first product that can also be used for the driver's seat. It is currently on display, installed in a Range Rover Evoque, at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. There is currently no word on price.